Atkins - Does it work? How much did you lose on Induction?

i'm on a ketogenic diet which is pretty much atkins induction (limit of 20g of carbs give or take) but i dont restrict nuts or seeds like atkins says.
i've been on it now for 39 days and i've lost 14 pounds! i wasnt that heavy either. i went from 5'5'' 155 lbs to 140.9 in just over 5 weeks. some people go through keto flu which is what a lot of people are talking about when they say they feel crappy, tired, irritable, etc. but if you're doing it right it should subside in a few days. a lot of people even experience increased energy and mental clarity on a ketogenic diet. no diet has ever worked as well for me before so i am a total advocate for those struggling to lose weight to just try it out!
to the person who said its monotonous, it doesnt have to be! theres a low carb replacement for nearly everything you can think of and i'm probably eating more variety now than when i was just eating pizza, cookies, and pasta everyday.
i'm also not starving like i was when i was restricting calories on a high carb diet. i was always super hungry and miserable when limiting my calories to 1,100-1,300 calories a day (nutrisystem) and frequently cheated because i was so deprived. now i eat on average around 1,300 calories a day and i'm always satiated from all the fat i eat and never feel the urge to binge which is awesome.
if anyone's interested in starting keto you can message me or check on /r/keto on reddit

I only make dietary changes that I know I can do indefinitely. Low carbs is not something I can do indefinitely.

I eat the same stuff I was eating before, just with smaller portions.

You may have better results by going low carb, but make sure it is something that you can do for the long term. Good luck!

So much this. If i make a change i say "Would i be happy doing this forever?" So, i havent changed much, just simple changes. Skimmed milk, no difference. Half spoon sugar, no difference. And now everything i buy has to justify 4 fields. Cost, taste, calories, time spent eating. If it hits all those, i buy it. I wont have small things like cupcakes, or cakes in general, as although they are cheap, and nice, they are high cals and take bugger all time to eat. I want to get the most for my calorific buck!

I just started on the 24th and i have already lost 11lbs and i am still having a soda here and there.... but my best friend can already tell where i have lost the weight... its cool.. but its a life time commitment.

Well, the science behind a low-carb diet shows that it works. It's difficult for the body to burn fat effectively if your insulin is constantly elevated from carb-dense foods. Cutting calories overall by calorie counting or whatever also happens to lower your carbs which is why you are able to lose weight.

I want to do a true low-carb diet to enter ketosis but I don't think I can give up fruit. I have already cut out nearly all processed foods, starches, refined sugar and grains. Fruit is pretty much the only thing keeping my daily carb intake above 100g. I wonder if it's beneficial to lower my carbs further but not enough to where I have to cut out fruit completely.

I want to do a true low-carb diet to enter ketosis but I don't think I can give up fruit.

Maybe eating human portions of fruit rather than gorilla sized would be a start. A pound of strawberries at a sitting - really ?

I'm low carb and have berries regularly, but the amount of fruit you're eating is frankly mental.

I just started Atkins again. I did it a few years ago and it sure works to REALLY kickstart your weight loss. The problem is you have to ease your way into eating some carbs after the strict induction phase (nuts, some fruits, some whole grains in moderation), but instead a lot of people lose the weight during induction, claim victory and then go straight back to cereal, toast, pizza and bread. If you do that, you wasted your time. Doing that simply switches your metabolism to its old ways with a vengeance, insulin levels spike, hunger pangs return, etc.. doing this is probably worse for you than not doing any diet at all. I did this, and I paid for it.

I plan to use the induction phase to kickstart weight loss and *****slap my metabolism into burning some of my plentiful fat deposits... then slowly ease my way into phase 2 for a while. I have never had a sweet tooth, so eventually I'd like to just get all my carbs from salads, fruits, nuts (no bread, pasta, sweets, etc...)

I feel fantastic (after some initial greasy gaggy disgusting days...), and the weight is coming off quick. This is really encouraging so far. Wish me luck!!! and feel free to add me if you need low carb buddies! I hope to have a good "after" picture to add to the monstruosity currently on my profile that smacks me on the forehead everytime I log in!!! :-)

Aside from weight loss...

1) Atkins is almost always seen as "no carb". Like saying that joining the military is 4 years of boot camp. In reality, Atkins phase 4 has plenty of carbs even though it is still low by most of our standards.
2) Every person has to find their diet. And we need to not condemn others when they find something that works for them.
3) For me, 'Atkins' is the ONLY way I have found to control my ridiculous triglycerides. Good levels are between 0 and 150. Mine are around 1,200. Yep. With medication they drop to 675 or so. If I go on "Atkins" for 2 weeks, they come in below 200. By the end of the two weeks I feel very stable and my appetite is stable and my energy is stable and my sleep is good and my mind is good. I DO get bored of the food and that's a big problem. When I start eating carbs again it is very hard to stop, In other words, if I each 5 tortilla chips, I tend to eat an entire bag. It's not weakmindedness or lazy. It's a true chemical addiction. I will have to be very careful the rest of my life. Atkins is not for everyone. But it has taught me a lot about paying attention to what I eat. And to make connections to the way I feel based on what I eat. My recommendation is to limit carbs but do so by finding what you can eat that doesn't trigger you. I can eat watermelon and cantaloupe without experiencing what I do with tortilla chips. Also, I like to run when I am light enough. It is very difficult to run too far when doing the phase 1 of Atkins. So overall, Atkins can be a learning experience but will still have to be customized.

I hated Atkins and was wildly unsuccessful on it. I felt heavy and tired and awful. Paleo is better if you want to go low carb, fresh fruit is not the enemy!

fresh fruit isn't an enemy on atkins either, it's just restricted for the first couple of weeks. even then, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries are allowed in moderation.

Day 5 of Induction ...lost 8 lbs...think alot was water weight....am in ketosis...took me 3 days to enter ketosis and I stuck to the diet to the T.
Just made sure I have savory proteins and available fats. My greens have been raw spinach/spring mix...tons of it. I do whip up come heavy whipping cream for dessert and have been drinking water and iced tea all day long. The caffeine doesnt seem to affect my weight loss thus far.
Here's an acceptable and yummy side: creamed spinach. Fresh spinach sauteed in butter with cream added. Serve that with a grilled sirloin strip steak and a side spring mix salad with vinegar and a little parm. yummers! I can do this, sure can, especially when my health depends on my discipline. Phase 2 in the horizon!

I'm on day 7 of induction and am down close to 5 lbs. Definitely some/most of that is water but who cares...I just want it off! Although I'm not hungry, I am already missing my crappy foods that I'm used to eating. I wouldn't say I'm craving them, but I do miss them. The 5 lbs lost has motivated me into sticking with it for week 2. I'm anxious to see how I finish out after the first 14 days.

I've been reading all these posts and majority of people say Atkins doesn't work but the people saying that are all going back to eating all the bad carbs. My cousin has lost almost 100 lbs and looks amazing. She slowly started introducing carbs back and has lost more weight. Honestly it's about you and your dedication to change. I'm about to start Phase 1 and I'm excited! So kudos to everyone who has found a lifestyle that works for you, that's all you need

YUP. I'd say the majority of folks who return to MFP saying they've "fallen off the wagon" etc. went back to their old habits as well. Thus, the reason the vast majority of losers regain. Regardless of how they lose it.

I say: if low carb makes it easier for you to lose GO FOR IT. It seems like just as good an approach as any other safe diet.